Switches for electric-railway systems



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LE. WHEELER. SWITGEFOR ELEUTRIG RAILWAY SYSTEMS.

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E. WHEELER. SWITCH FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEMS. No. 431,094. Patented July 1,1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

FRANK WVIIEELER, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

SWITCHES FOR ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,094, dated July 1, 1890. Application filed December 23, 1889. Serial No. 334,702. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK \VHEELER, of Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Switches for Systems of Electric Locomotion; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in switches for systems of electric locomotion, whereby provision is made for the simultaneous operation of the car-track switch and the conductor-switch. The ordinary streetcar switch consists of a frog, and where overhead conductors for the electric current are used it is common to operate the switch thereof by means of cords or wires from the side of the street. This entails a delay in the progress of the car unless the expense is incurred of stationing a switchman at every switch.

The object of my invention is to avoid delay and expense by providing means whereby the motor-man, without leaving his car, can operate both switches simultaneously and without materially slackening the speed of the car beyond what is necessary to avoid risk of jumping the track.

To this end my invention consists in the combination with a traclcswitch and an overhead conductor or trolley switch, of connections for simultaneously operating both of said switches; and my invention further consists in the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter" described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, which accompany and form part of this specification, Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the connection of all of the parts. In this View the conductors and the switch thereof appear to be between the tracks and the operating-cords and idler-pulleys at one side. It is to be understood, however, that the former are above the tracks, and the latter are supported by a vertical post at one side of the street. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the pivoted switch-operating arms and a portion of the track. The detail on the left of this figure is a side view of the horizontal plate hereinafter referred to. Fig. 3 is an e11- largecl detail section on line 3 3 of Fig. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the hollow post and the connections. Fig. 5 is a dctail view of a portion of a street-car and one form of means for operating the switches. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the operating shoe with its friction-rollers. Fig. '7 is a detail view showing another means for throwing the operating-shoes into or out of position. Fig. 8 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view showing another means of throwing the operatingshoes into or out of position. Fig. 10 is a section on line 10 10 of Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a-portable operating-shoe.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

At A is represented a streetcar or portion thereof having the usual wheels at, and at B is shown a wedge-shaped shoe, carrying two anti-friction rolls 1), which are mounted on pins, so as to be in contact with each other, and having their outer sides projecting beyond the sides of the shoe. This shoe is for the purpose of operating the switches when desired by the driver or motor-man, in a manner hereinafter described.

The car-track C, having the frog C, or other form of switch, may be of any ordinary kind, and to such switch is connected a bar c,whieh in its longitudinal movements operates both the track-switch and the overhead conductorswitch, as will presently appear. This bar 0 is moved by means of the shoe B through the following connections: At some distance from the switch are secured two horizontal plates (1, one near the inside of each rail of the track. To each of these plates is pivoted an arm D, having its front end curved, as at (l, to assist in guiding the shoe to operative position, and the two arms are connected near their longer or rear ends by the connecting-bar (1 which is of such length that when one arm is parallel with its rail or open the other will be closed; or, in other Words, have its rear end nearly in contact with its rail on that side. The horizontal plates have are slots d through which bolts pass for uniting the longer or rear ends of the arms D wit-h bar (P, which is below the plane of the bottom of the plates d. Around the sides of each are slot is an upwardly-projecting flange d", which serves the purpose of not only preventing much dirt or ice from collecting under the plates near the slots, but also serves to keep the arms D sufficient-ly elevated toinsure free working.

To a suitable support between the plates (1 is pivoted a bell-crank lever (1 and one arm thereof is connected to bar d by a link d",

and the other arm is connected to one arm of a second bell-crank lever (l by means of a rod (i This second lever d is connected by a link to the bar 0. It will thus be seen that by the moving of the pivoted arms D, owing to the crowding of the shoe B between one of them and its adjoining track-rail, the switchoperating bar 0 is moved positively in either direction.

In Fig. 2, and in the detach ed view at the left thereof, the horizontal plate d is shown as having its surface beyond the end of arm D inclined upward at d. This is to insure the lifting of the shoe B above the plane of any possible obstructions after it hasperformed its duty of swinging one of the pivoted arms D.

The bar 0 is designed to extend through a suitable protecting trench or casing under ground to a point located at one side of the 1889, Serial No. 314,814.

The slide E has the two ends of a strap, chain, cord, or wirerope 6 connected toit near its ends, as shown in Fig. 4, and said strap passes around the periphery of wheel 6 and is fastened thereto, as at e. The idlers e and e are outside of the doubled strap, the lower ones 6 serving to prevent slack in the strap, and the upper on es 6 serving to reduce friction at the point where the strap is carried from the vertical to the horizontal. Instead of a single strap or cord, two may be used, connected at the top to the slide, as shown, and at the bottom to the periphery of the wheel. It will now be understood that the swinging or crowding out of the arms D by means of the shoe B operates the track and conductor switches simultaneously, and I will now proceed to describe some of the practical means of using said shoe.

In Fig. 5 I illustrate the shoe carried at the lower end of a lever 12, fulcrumed on the wheel-axle of the car, the other end of the lever having a chain connected to a handle b above the platform of the car, where it may 4 be pulled by the motor-man to lower the shoe into position to engage between an arm D and its adjoining rail. Upon release of handle b the shoe is raised by excess of weight atthe handle end of the lever, or a spring might be utilized to facilitate such return. As shown, the location of the shoe is just behind the wheel a of the car, whereby it cannot, by reason of swaying of the car around a curve or otherwise, be displaced from position ready to open the arm D. A similar shoe is placed behind the other wheel on the same axle,'and two more are placed on the other axle for use when the car is running in the other direction.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I show a modified and probably preferable means for operating the shoes. A rock-shaft b extending under the car, and having a lever 1), extending up through the platform within reach of the motor-man, is provided with two rigid arms b each carrying a shoe B. The lever 19 may be locked in intermediate position when both shoes are elevated by any suitable means, if desired. WVhen one shoe is turned down by the motor-man, the other is correspondingly elevated. The rock-shaft may terminate, as shown, near the center of the car, and a second one placed at the other end, or both may be joined in one shaft. In this form, to prevent the shoe-arm frombeing bent backward through contact wit-h an obstruction, a brace or stay 12 may be employed, as shown in Fig. 8.

In Figs. 9 and 10 I show a slide 19 near the middle of the car, and to it are connected by links 12 the levers 19 which are provided at their outer ends with handles (not shown) extending up through the platform of the car .at each end. To the slide are also connected by links the short arms of the shoe-levers 17 which are fulcrumed on hearings in frame the end of a simple portable bar of wood or metal, which may be kept in a convenient place for use by the motor-man when desired. In use it is held by the upper end of the bar 11 and the shoe at the lower end lowered as the arm D is approached and then caused to engage between said arm and the rail, as heretofore described. The lower portion of the bar 13 rests against the edge of the front platform on either side, as desired, and the shoe is then carried along to operate the arm D, the motor-man retaining hold of the upper end of the bar.

In some cases the arrangement of arms D, plates d, levers d 01 &c., as shown in Fig. 1, will be duplicated on the other side of the switch to be operated from a car coming in the opposite direction.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire tovsecure by Letters Patent, is

I. In a system of electric locomotion, the combination, with the track-switch and an overhead conductor-switch, of connections whereby the movement of one switch will simultaneously move the other switch, substantially as described.

2. In a system of electric locomotion, the

combination, with the track-switch and an overhead conductor-switch, of means for simultaneously operating both switches from the car, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a car track and switch, a laterally-movable arm pivoted or fulcrumed at one end near one of the trackrails and connected near the other end to the switch, and a shoe carried by the car, whereby the advance of the car will cause the shoe to enter the space between the said arm and rail and operate the switch, substantially as described.

el. In a system of electric locomotion, a wedge-shaped switch-operating shoe having a pair of anti-friction rollers mounted 0n its lower face in peripheral contact with each other, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the pivoted arms D, of the connecting-bar (P, the switch 0,

operating-bar c, and connection between said bars d and 0, whereby motion of one will be communicated to the other, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the track-switch and the conductor-switch in a system of electric locomotion, of the wheel 6, bar 0, idlerpulleys 6' e slide E, and bar 6 substantially as described.

7. The combination, with the switch-operating arms D, of the plates d, having inclines d beyond the ends of said arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK W'HEEL'ER.

Vitncsses:

LEVERET C. HINMAN, JOHN Q. THAYER. 

